Keeping You Up to Date

Young Artists Provide Inspiration at Annual MFA Day

Approximately 450 students, faculty, parents, and newly accepted families gathered at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts on Sunday, April 20 to celebrate more than 400 pieces of BB&N student art as well as enjoy guided tours of the museum courtesy of Upper School students. This year marked the 17th anniversary of BB&N’s collaboration with the MFA and produced the largest turnout in the history of this all-school event.

Parent Volunteers, headed by Kay Kane P’14, ’17, worked tirelessly on Friday and Sunday, installing work, hosting, and providing helpful information to the large crowd. Sixth graders wowed the audience with their ACTion Project featuring multimedia presentations on iPods complete with Spanish or French information on their artists as well as music and images of the paintings. Senior Jessica Brodsky, one of many skilled US tour guides, showcased the conservation work that she has been doing this year at the MFA, and Michaela Kane ’14 provided a large Chinese Dragon collage project for interested children. MFA Day coordinator Sharen Bowden also highlighted the many musical performances (coordinated by Lower School Music Teacher Debbie Slade), with 15 students performing keyboard, guitar, violin, cello, flute, jazz, classical, and folk music. “The talents and efforts of this day were truly inspiring,” said Bowden.

Click Here to view a photo gallery. Top

“Green Scene” Benefit on Tap for Middle Schoolers

The Middle School Community Service Club will be hosting a benefit called “Green Scene” on Friday, May 7th, from 7-9PM. It will feature Preface—an MS band which has been playing together to great acclaim for several years—as well as a lip synch contest and improv comedy. The $5 suggested donation will go to a local environmental group.

Please click here to see the Green Scene flyer created by Tynan Friend ’15. Top

New Information Technology Director Hired

Demetri Orlando has been hired as BB&N’s new Information Technology Director, effective July 1, 2010. Orlando comes to BB&N with 15 years of experience and a national reputation for innovation in technology. He has served since 2007 as Director of Information Technology at Battle Ground Academy, a K-12 school of 975 students in Franklin, Tennessee. At BGA he implemented the school’s nationally recognized one-to-one laptop program. Orlando also currently serves as a technology consultant for NAIS and serves as chair of the NAIS 21st Century Curriculum & Technology Task Force. He is well known coast to coast as a speaker on topics related to classrooms of the future and the uses of technology in curriculum design. He has taught graduate courses at Johns Hopkins University (from which he received his M.S. in Educational Technology) and was the creator of the Independent School Educators Network.

“I became a teacher because of my love of working with children,” says Orlando. “I moved to technology administration because I wanted to improve educational practice using technology tools for hands-on, differentiated, and engaging learning.”

“BB&N will be well served by this approach,” says Head of School Rebecca T. Upham. “We look forward to welcoming Demetri and his family to the BB&N community this summer.” Top

Sixth Graders Impress with Alice in Wonderland Jr.

Ten months ago, Lower School teachers Debbie Slade, Ada Snider, and Jenny Lifson set out to create a way for sixth graders to be exposed to drama, music, and dance in one production. The result was the larger-than-life musical Alice in Wonderland Jr., complete with fantastic acting, singing, dancing and spectacular moving scenery. “I was so unbelievably proud of the 56 sixth graders who sang, danced, and acted their way through a production more successful than we ever could have imagined,” Lifson said. “They are truly the pioneers of a tradition we hope will continue for years and years.”

Click Here to view a photo gallery. Top

Zack McLeod Tournament a Resounding Success

For the second straight year, the annual 3-on-3 basketball tournament to raise funds to benefit Zack McLeod ’10 was a resounding success. The March 6th tournament, which was attended by 130 friends and supporters of Zack, raised more than $14,000 to help with medical and rehabilitation bills. “I am just so proud of the BB&N community and the way they support each other during tough times,” said tournament organizer Ed Bourget ’96. “It was great to see all of the happy faces at the tournament. You can bet Zack was the happiest of all.” Top

Maypole Tradition Sparkles

Lower School students celebrated the rites of spring with Maypole, a tradition that dates back to The Buckingham School. The annual event featured two ribbon dances by the fifth grade, a Cambodian coconut dance by the third grade, and an Indian Stick dance by the fourth grade. In BB&N tradition, the ceremony closed with the entire audience joining hands in a giant line dance, The Galopede. Top

Geoff Theobald Introduced as New Upper School Director

The School is enormously pleased to announce that Geoff Theobald has agreed to become BB&N’s new Upper School Director, starting next academic year. “We were blessed to have a truly exceptional group of candidates vying to succeed Mr. Jack Knapp as director,” said Head of School Rebecca T. Upham, “and for Mr. Theobald to stand out among them really points to the extraordinary leadership skills, temperament, and connection with students that he possesses.”

Theobald has worked the past five years with high-school students and teachers as head of the Senior Program at Yale University for the Exploration School, a highly regarded non-profit summer enrichment program. Prior to that, he had served in a variety of leadership roles—Academic Dean of the Upper School, Admissions Director, Financial Aid Director, Mathematics Teacher, Coach, Assistant Dean of Students, and Director of Community Service—during 13 years of working and teaching at his alma mater, Milton Academy.

“I am simply thrilled to be joining the BB&N community,” said Theobald. “I have been so impressed with the level of care, respect, and commitment all of its members consistently show for the process of learning, and I eagerly anticipate partnering with adults and students alike in helping the School continue to function at the forefront of educational excellence.”

Please Click Here to read the full announcement regarding Mr. Theobald’s hiring. Top

Families Enjoy La Soirée Française

Well over 100 students, parents, and faculty members from all three campuses turned out for La Soirée Française, which was held at the Upper School on Friday, April 23. The annual event is a celebration of French language and culture with delicious food (of course), games, and a special guest. A big crowd, including many enthusiastic student volunteers, flocked to the onsite crepe-making station (see photo above) for extra fun, and the student-recited poems and skits were well received by the audience. A highlight of the evening was a visit by renowned storyteller Dr. Raouf Mama, who enraptured the crowd with colorful tales from his native Benin.

Click Here to view a photo gallery. Top

Fifth Grade Fun and Learning at State Fair

Nevada is home to beautiful Lake Tahoe, breathtaking Anasazi cave drawings, and tennis star Andre Agassi, but as Ross Harrison ’17 (pictured above) can tell you, “Nevada is also home to Las Vegas!” And after building a working roulette wheel out of a bicycle tire, Harrison was more than willing to show off the allure of Nevada’s major industry, gambling. It’s all part of the annual Fifth Grade State Fair.

Culminating their colonial studies curriculum, fifth graders chose a U.S. state or territory and created informative and interactive projects to show off their knowledge. Each display included a fun interactive game relating to the state, and in most cases, prizes indigenous to the state were handed out.

The State Fair tradition was begun in 1989 by former fifth grade teacher Lynda Dugas, P’17, as a take-off on the World’s Fair. Fifth grade teacher Jack Denny-Brown inherited the reins years ago and crafted the current beloved incarnation. Top

The Russians Are Coming!

Spring at BB&N brings flowers, flip flops, and…Russians? As part of BB&N’s continuing collaboration with Moscow School 1232, Russian students once again joined the BB&N community for two weeks in April.

“The Exchange students spent two weeks in Boston…staying with BB&N families for the entire two weeks, with the exception of one night which the Russian students spend in New York City,” explains Russian teacher Willa Chamberlain. Later on in the year, the exchange students will return the favor by hosting BB&N students in Moscow.

During their stay the Russians took in the local sights, sat in on classes, and shared in local customs (pictured above, Russian students sing a folk song about teaching grammar). Now in its 21st year, the exchange program continues to be a mutually beneficial experience for both BB&N students and their Russian counterparts. Top

Book Buyback to Take Place on June 8th

Please note that the annual Book Buyback program will take place at the Stonestreet Lounge (within the Nicholas Athletic Center) on Tuesday, June 8, from 2-7 pm. Top

Chess Success Continues Unabated

BB&N youngsters have enjoyed another wildly successful year for participation in chess. Highlights this year include 11 BB&Ners competing in the MACA Tournament hosted at BB&N (Eliza Sternlicht ’17 winning the U400 section and Jeremy Tang ’18 medaling in the U400 section); the 5th grade team placing ninth in the National Scholastic K-12 Championships in Dallas, Texas; several BB&N teams and players medaling in the Holiday Team Challenge; the K-3 Knights team placing third and the 6-9 Knights team placing third in the Hurvitz Cup State Scholastic Team Championship; and Max Wiegand ’17 posting a 2-2 score in the ten-player 11&U section of the elite Spiegel Cup Invitational Championships.

Shown above is the K-3 team that placed 3rd in the Hurvitz Cup State Team Championships (from left, Andrew Keating, Aurash Vatan, Siddharth Simon, and Ben Wiegand).

Click Here to read a more detailed write-up of BB&N’s chess participation during the 2009-2010 year. Top

PIN Bestows Five Awards
to BB&N Community
Service Projects

The Parents’ Independent School Network (PIN) has awarded BB&N Special Recognition and/or monetary grants for five different community service projects that take place on all three campuses. The awards reflect PIN’s appreciation for BB&N’s “contribution to the greater good and…dedicated service to the community,” and are a great credit to the ongoing commitment of numerous BB&N students, faculty members, and parents who put in tremendous amounts of hard work toward these initiatives.

The five specific community service projects which were honored this year are:
1) Boston Medical Food Drive (AS);
2) Tobin AfterSchool Science Club (US);
3) Community Service Afternoon (US);
4) Knit Baby Blankets for Hildebrand Family Center
(LS 2nd grade) -- students holding award in top photo above
5) The Sustainability Project
(LS Beginners) -- students holding award in 2nd photo above.

Please click here to access a proposal submission document that describes each of these projects in greater detail.

And congratulations to the many members of the BB&N community who helped make these awards a reality! Top

Jamie Baker ’78 Receives Distinguished Alumnus Award

The Honorable James E. Baker ’78 (above, right) returned to BB&N’s Upper School this April as the recipient of the School’s Distinguished Alumnus Award. Judge Baker, who sits on the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, accepted the honor at an Upper School assembly where he inspired students not with tales of his own storied career, but with a talk about role models.

Citing several former BB&N teachers as people who have endured as role models, Baker also spoke of Jack Downey, a Superior Court Judge in Connecticut whose forgiveness and grace shaped Baker’s life. Despite being held captive in a Chinese prison from age 22 to 44, and being considered dead by his country, Downey held no resentment upon his eventual release, and proceeded to enter law school and become a judge so he could “help society.” Baker stressed that greatness in people assumes unlikely forms, and urged students to consider carefully whom they choose to emulate. Top

College Counseling Staffers Walking for a Cure

Keep an eye out during the Avon Two-Day Walk for Breast Cancer on May 15th and 16th—you may see BB&N College Counseling Office colleagues Amy Selinger and Sarah McDonald (pictured above), members of Team Nananan, pounding the pavement to help find a cure for the horrible disease which afflicts another woman in the United States every three minutes.

The six members of Team Nananan, which was named for the mother of Amy’s friend, who passed away last year after being diagnosed with breast cancer, will journey 39 miles over two days throughout the neighborhoods of Boston and the nearby towns of Milton and Canton. On Saturday evening, the walkers will camp out on the Reebok World Headquarters campus in Canton.

If you’d like to support one or both of the BB&N walkers in their mission, Click Below:
Amy Selinger’s page
Sarah McDonald’s page

For those who want to cheer for the walkers, Click Here to see recommended “cheering stations.”

Good luck, Amy, Sarah, and Team Nananan! Top

Cast and Crew Shine in
US Musical

This year, BB&N thespians took the stage to perform the acclaimed musical Bye Bye Birdie, one of the most popular high school musicals in the country. The story follows aspiring chemist and song writer Albert who is convinced he can make his fortune and marry his girlfriend Rosie if he gets ’60s rock star Conrad Birdie on The Ed Sullivan Show to kiss a high school girl goodbye. Albert’s mother will do anything to break him up with Rosie. Kim and Hugo, the high school steadies, live in Sweet Apple, Ohio where most of the action takes place. Songs include What's the Matter with Kids Today, Bye Bye Birdie, the hit Telephone Song (Going Steady), and We Love You, Conrad.

Click Here to view a photo gallery. Top

Senior Prank Underscores Class Unity

Imagine the surprise of BB&N students and teachers who arrived on campus on the day before Spring Break to find every window facing the Renaissance Hall courtyard covered in graffiti. This was no ordinary graffiti though. As part of a senior prank, students had covered the windows in erasable marker, listing all of the graduating students and what each will be remembered and missed for. Lines such as the examples below reminded the community of the contributions and spirit of the soon to be departing class of 2010:

YOU WILL BE MISSED FOR:
Borreliz: Somersaulting through life;
Bradlee: Always saying ‘hi’;
Burstein: Having a different view on the world.... Top